The Price of Progress

It seems the economy is thankfully turning a corner with increased activity visible across a number of different sectors such as construction, architectural, food industry & professional services.This has resulted in a lot more job opportunities, so much so that some job seekers are now receiving multiple job offers during their change in employment. It is very quickly moving from an employer’s market to a candidate’s market and as such choosing the right employer and waiting for the right package is now an option for some.

But getting back to an important question I was asked recently should I accept or decline a joboffer? Well it really depends on the offer and a myriad of considerations from personal to professional.Although the position you have been offered may not have the initial financial rewards you had hoped for, don’t forget it may still offer you a step in the right direction and sometimes this step in the right direction can propel you forward considerably and is much more important than any short term financial gain.

Look at the offer in detail and factor in questions such as, is the company closer to home? is there paid overtime? are expenses accepted for work related activities? is there career growth potential? does this new position get me closer to where I want to go in my career? does it include educational support, pension or health care?are there more holidays? flexi time or early finish on a Friday? You see on the surface the base salary offered may be disappointing but take the time to sit down with a calculator and work out the complete offering in detail and you may find it’s not that bad after all.

Bottom line examine all aspects of the offer and before you decline the offer go back to the company with your comments, if it’s still not for you then don’t accept. Remember, sometimes you need to take a side step in order to get to your dreams and this is the price of progress.